Thursday, September 29, 2011

This last weekend the family took a little jaunt up towards the mountains. Mariposa was calling our name.

I am always happy as we drive up toward the mountains - having grown up in the Morgan Hill/San Jose area I miss those surrounding hills. On our trip we talked about ideal places to live....Brian and Lane opted for the top of a large hill or small mountain. Madison and I agreed that we love being in town - but - I have always imagined my 'perfect' spot would be with my comfy house nestled in at the bottom of a hill. There would be a stream running nearby and an orchard surrounding me. It could be just at the edge of town maybe!

Well when we pulled into Mariposa and ventured down the street...guess what we stumbled upon!? A stream!

I love the fact that the stream runs right behind the businesses and you can wander down and look at it. There is another great stream in Murphys....we like to get our lunch and go put our feet in!

We wandered around admiring all of the things that make these mountain towns so wonderful...rock walls....

of course the streams... and bridges...

all of the 'old' architecture and gardens...

I can never resist the antique stores...

and you must watch out for those trees that sneak up behind you!

It is nice to have so much nature all around you...

and in Mariposa almost every street ends in a gorgeous view like this.

It was great being out and about together...

and Madison was able to get one of her photography assignments finished. Check, Check!

Saturday, September 24, 2011

A month or so ago my youngest daughter, Lane, found this great website (threadless.com) full of wonderfully designed T-shirts. Then she found out that there is a contest (threadcakes.com) where you choose a T-shirt design and make a cake that is inspired by it....kind of zany I know...and kind of a big undertaking! But, Lane is like her father in that way - they get an idea and nothing can stop them! I on the other hand am often getting ideas and then immediately convincing myself that it would be entirely too much work!

Not Lane...she was determined...so step by step she created her masterpiece.

First of all she choose her T-shirt design...and made a sketch of how she might do things...

there was, of course, baking to be done...

and around here we sometimes use a box of cake! This was perfect because there was just so much for Lane to do...

after baking the cakes Lane had to trim them and cut pieces out...

there was filling involved...

a strawberry jam crumb coat and some butter cream frosting...

...meanwhile a special homemade fondant was prepared...

rice crispy treats were made and cut into the proper shapes for the 'little guys'...

a lovely ganache was made a poured over the top of the cake...

fondant was coloured and rolled out - and soon became tiny creatures...

such cuties!

Lane made arms and legs out of modeling chocolate...

a little bit of assembly was required and...

Voila!!!!!!! A beautiful finished product.

Now I think you can understand what I meant when I said there was a lot involved in this process. It goes without saying - but I am going to say it! - I am so proud of my girlie! Lane showed so many wonderful qualities by setting this goal for herself, figuring out how to go about it, and completing the job! Bravo Lane! You can go here to see her entry and here to see the winners of the competition.

I am truly in awe when I look at what Lane accomplished...bravery, confidence, ingenuity, creativity, perseverance...just a few of the qualities I admire in you my girlie!

While I am going on and on about my girlie - I need to give some kudos to her big sister, Madison, who was by her sister's side for the duration. Madison was there for moral support and took all the photos that Lane needed to enter the competition.

So go and check out all the crazy T-shirts and cakes and see which one is your favorite. Or maybe even pick the T-shirt you will make a cake for!!!

Tuesday, September 20, 2011

It all started with a request for boobie cupcakes....it used to be that in 'polite' society you didn't talk about breasts. That has all changed (and for the good) with The American Cancer Society's campaign against Breast Cancer! Boobie talk is everywhere! And when our friend Annie asked the girlies if they would like to bake boobie cupcakes for the Atwater Relay for Life - of course they said YES!

There was some discussion about how the boobies would be formed...can you name these parts?

Can you find the boobie?

Well, 4 1/2 batches of frosting, 72 cupcakes, some sliced and dipped marshmallows and a couple of handfuls of pink Good n Plentys later...Voila! Boobies everywhere!

I'm sure everyone has heard of The American Cancer Society's Relay For Life...

That is where our cupcakes were headed. Our wonderful friend, Annie, had her own team at a local relay this year. Annie is an inspiration - she is in her third battle with cancer and teaches us all everyday about positive thinking, giving back, and living life to the fullest.

This is Annie and I at last year's relay

Having a team for relay is a lot of work...Annie's Team Sofranek had signs,

she gave everyone a T-shirt...

it even involves sleeping out overnight...You see the idea behind relay is that Cancer never sleeps and so there is someone walking the track for 24 hours straight. The team members take turns and all through the day and night some one represents and walks the track.

Of course raising money is a big part of Relay for Life and that is done in as many ways as people can creatively come up with. Thus the boobie cupcakes were sold at relay. I donated a flower pot full of my handmade items that was raffled off.

Annie's team made over $3000!!!! All together the Atwater Relay for Life made $95,000 - what an amazing contribution to finding a way to rid the world of this ugly disease.

In keeping with the Team theme Annie had baseballs, footballs, basketballs, volleyballs...you get the idea...for people to write their own reason for doing the relay on. She displayed these so people could read them as they visited her 'camp' site.

Madison was a trooper (and relay is full of people young and old who are troopers just like her)...she raised some $$$, she (with Lane's help of course!) made the cupcakes, she helped Annie on Friday night, she helped set up the 'camp' site on Saturday, spent the night - walking several times and once in the early morning hours all by her lonesome, and helped tear down the 'camp' site on Sunday. Madison loves relay and she did it all with a smile on her face...after all... it's for Annie! And as she wrote on her basketball...

"My Grammy was diagnosed with breast cancer. Watching her go through chemo and radiation broke my heart. But her strength inspired me. I relay to spread cancer awareness and to honor the women who show their strength in the fight against cancer."

Boobie cupcakes are silly...but selling boobie cupcakes to fight this battle is not silly at all.